Voters Demonstrate Overwhelming Support for Transportation Investment

Voters in 20 states approved more than 80 percent of 215 transportation investment ballot measures Nov. 7, mostly at the local level, according to analysis conducted by ARTBA’s Transportation Investment Advocacy Center™ (ARTBA-TIAC).

The approved measures will support $2.9 billion in new transportation investment revenue and $1.3 billion in continued funding through tax extensions or renewals. The timing of the market impact of these actions is difficult to project as revenue approved will last as long as 25 years.

Preliminary results show voters approved 176 of the 215 measures, or 82 percent. Results are still pending in six Michigan localities. Maine voters approved the only statewide measure—a $105 million transportation infrastructure bond— with 72 percent support.

Including the most recent results, voters have approved 74 percent of over 1,200 transportation investment ballot measures tracked by ARTBA-TIAC since 2007. The complete report and an interactive map showing the state-by-state results can be found at www.transportationinvestment.org.

Gas Tax Support Doesn’t Hurt N.J. Lawmakers

New Jersey voters also showed their support for transportation funding on Tuesday by reelecting all 61 state lawmakers who backed the state’s 2016 gas tax increase.

An earlier ARTBA-TIAC report found voting for a state gas tax increase does not hurt reelection chances. The analysis of over 2,500 state legislators from 16 states who voted to increase state gas taxes for transportation funding found that 91 percent were returned to office in the next general election.